Innholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2019 i Timber Home Living

The finishes you choose for your flooring, countertops and backsplash will have a major impact on the look and feel of your spaces. And no finish is quite so versatile (see what we did there?) in allowing you to set the tone you want as tile. Depending on the type you choose, tile can inject color, character and unexpected personality into a space. But it also can play the background, blending into a scene seamlessly so that a room’s other elements take center stage. To help you find your tile type, here’s a rundown on five popular options for bed, bath and beyond. CONCRETE If you think that cement-based concrete is only for the areas outside your home (driveway, sidewalks or patios) or underneath your home (foundation), here’s an update:…

Flow may be a word more often associated with rivers or even yoga teachers than timber home design, but the concept is absolutely crucial in creating a floor plan that works with your life. In fact, arranging rooms in a way that makes sense is why we create floor plans in the first place — and to do it right, you need to take into account everything from the view you want to capture to the way you’ll move around in your home. For advice on how to achieve good flow in your floor plan, we turned to two experts: Allen Halcomb, owner of MossCreek, a firm that specializes in designing timber, log and hybrid homes (a house MossCreek designed is featured on page 30) and Mark Wagner, planning and…

WITH ARCHITECTURE AT THE CORE of this issue, it’s only right to showcase a kitchen with a undeniable zest for timber framing. Owners Brian and Dawn Kempisty, who have savored their timber home for close to a decade, enlisted Timberbuilt to help them concoct the perfect kitchen. Starting with a base of natural materials, they added a splash of man-made finishes for an irresistble twist on a traditional timber home.…

THE SUITE LIFE If you’ve been dreaming of a timber home of your own, no doubt you’ve researched floor plans and architectural designs in magazines (like this one) and online, and you’re smart to do that. It’s vital to have a clear vision of the kind of house you’re looking for, and these resources provide the springboard for you to articulate what you like — and what you don’t. During this dreaming-and-investigation process, it’s probably very tempting to opt for a stock floor plan from the throngs of existing plans that are out there. After all, the designs have already been engineered, and it’s easy to visualize how you could live in the layout. However, stock plans are very rarely built to the exact specifications of the original design, and…

One of the best pieces of advice you can receive during the custom home building process is that you’ve got to establish a clear line of communication between you and your design/build team. But talking about architectural design can feel like you’re speaking in a foreign tongue. Riddled with industry jargon and unfamiliar terms, how can you articulate the style of home you’re looking for when you don’t speak the language? For instance, one man’s ranch is another’s mid-century modern. “Barn-style” may conjure up one type of home to you, but using this term with a designer or architect may result in him or her taking a much different approach than you anticipated. It’s important to understand the key elements of architectural style to achieve the home of your dreams,…

WHEN THE LOCAL FORECAST calls for humidity, rain or snow isn’t your only concern. No matter the season, humidity is created in your home in the form of shower steam, the clothes dryer and boiling water on the stove, to name a few. Even household plants and breathing generate a certain amount of humidity in your home’s indoor atmosphere. Combined, these things can throw moisture levels out of whack. Signs include mold or mildew on tile, condensation, fog or frost on windows, warped wood and peeling paint. Avoid moisture mayhem with these tips: ▄ Correct any drainage issues before construction starts and divert rainwater away from your home. ▄ Select water- and mold-resistant building products, as well as climate-appropriate insulation and vapor barriers, especially around pipes, ducts, attics and crawl…

In the sea of coastal-style houses that dot Annapolis, Maryland, Janine and Vince Carran’s mountain-style home stands out. When the niece of the original landowner saw the Carrans’ home, she teared up. “She said it looked like someone had planted a seed and the house just grew up out of the ground,” Vince says. Finding their 2-acre wooded building site in the midst of former tobacco fields was the start of the Carrans’ journey to a hybrid timber frame home. The farm’s 500 acres had been subdivided, but most of the lots are large, giving each residence a secluded feel. “The site seemed perfect for a house like this,” Janine says. “It looks like it was always here.” Still, the site posed some challenges: Steep slopes created a narrow building…

Thanks to advances in engineering, materials and construction, today’s homes are more air-tight than ever. That’s great news in our effort to reduce energy consumption and save money, but when it comes to the indoor air quality of a house, the new levels of tightness can cause some issues. Proper ventilation is essential for healthy indoor air. Common contaminants, such as pollen, or even toxic ones like carbon monoxide, can build up inside a structure that doesn’t breathe, creating a hazardous environment for you, your family — even your pets. The whole idea of a healthy home is predicated on three things: 1. That you have air exchange — that is, fresh air coming into the house that pushes out and replaces the stale air that’s built up inside. 2.…